Ukraine, US discuss opening US new diplomatic mission

The United States plans to open its diplomatic mission in the Crimea in the future. As a source in Kyiv’s diplomatic circles told ITAR-TASS on Tuesday, “consultations on this issue began after the signing of a Ukrainian-US charter on strategic partnership in Washington on December 19.

The point considered is the opening of a US consulate general. The source doesn’t rule out that a number of West-European countries will also “expand their presence in Ukraine” opening diplomatic missions in the Crimea. This issue is expected to be discussed at a meeting of President Viktor Yushchenko with ambassadors of seven leading countries and a representative of the European Commission. The topic of the meeting - - “Urgent issues of international life and world security problems.”

At present, the consulate general of the Russian Federation, as well as consulates of honours of Armenia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Turkey and Estonia are working in Symferopol in the Crimea. Poland plans to open 3 new consulates - - in Symferopol, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia in the near future. Until recently, the consulate of honour of Georgia was operating in Symferopol, but now it was excluded from the list of foreign diplomatic missions accredited at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.